VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam is among 205 countries on the world tour of London-based Globe Theater to stage one of the famous pieces of Shakespeare, Hamlet at the Gem Center in HCMC’s District 1 on July 13 at 7 p.m.

A poster of the Hamlet world tour of The Globe Theater from London

Starting on April 23, 2014, the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, the company will spend two years abroad and this is their first time in Vietnam. They will also perform in North Korea in September. The idea for the tour came from a festival the theater hosted two years ago when 37 theatre companies from just as many countries came and performed all of Shakespeare’s works.

The play will have a cast of twelve actors, who The Daily Telegraph have hailed as “young, unjaded and openhearted” in their abilities to act and four other stage managers. It is directed by Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst and designed by Jonathan Fensom. Cast members are Keith Bartlett (Claudius/Polonius), John Dougall (Claudius/Polonius), Ladi Emeruwa (Hamlet), and Phoebe Fildes (Ophelia/Gertrude/Horatio/Rosencrantz/Guildenstern), among others.

According to the show’s organizer in Vietnam - Quintessentially, a London-based 24-hour luxury global concierge service, the play that can boast its versatility and adaptability in production has previously been performed everywhere from the Royal Opera Houses to open castle grounds.

Previously, The Globe’s artistic director, Dominic Dromgoole, told The Guardian that “having a lunatic idea is a very good thing, it’s a great way to keep everybody focused and dazzled and delighted by the ambition and energy of the company.” He said it had to be Hamlet for the project as “It is an iconic play, instantly recognizable anywhere. It has that capacity to question, to challenge, to inspire in any country in the world.”

The director also told The Guardian that the 204th and 205th stops have been already decided: the Rift Valley in Kenya – “where human life began on Earth”, and Elsinore in Denmark, the castle where Shakespeare set his tragedy.

The show will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Gem Center at 8 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street in HCMC’s District 1. There will be a press conference from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and a cocktail reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. the same day.

There are three categories of tickets to the show, category A (US$80 per ticket and US120$ per ticket plus), category B (US$70 per ticket and US$110 per ticket plus) and category C (US$60 per ticket and US$100 per ticket plus). Tickets only will include access to pre-show cocktail reception and the play while the tickets’ plus include cocktail reception, ticket to the play, private meet and greet with members of the cast.      

For inquiries, contact 08 3512 5185, email:  infoVietnam@quintessentially.com.   

Located on the bank of the River Thames in Bankside’s Cultural Quarter, Shakespeare’s Globe welcomes thousands of visitors to experience world renowned productions of Shakespeare every day.